Greenbelt Forest Preserve to expand with 13-acre purchase

LIBERTYVILLE – At its Oct. 9 meeting, the Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of about 13.2 acres to expand Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago.

The property, owned by Klairmont Family LLC, is on Route 120, just east of Willow Avenue and west of the Belvidere Discount Mall.

The Forest Preserves has been interested in buying the land for more than 35 years, according to Angelo Kyle, president of the Lake County Forest Preserves.

“By acquiring this property, we’re expanding Greenbelt and opening doors to link nearby trails,” Kyle said in a news release.

The $3.25 million addition will be factored into a new master plan for Greenbelt Forest Preserve, a process that has begun and will continue into 2025. Implementation of the master plan is included among a proposed list of projects that will be funded if the Forest Preserves capital referendum passes Nov. 5.

Walking paths exist just north of Route 120, connecting the Lake County Health Department property to the neighboring Corrine J. Rose Park.

“Ultimately, we aim to add a signalized crosswalk at the traffic light at Keller Avenue and connect these paths to the existing trails at Greenbelt Forest Preserve,” Kyle said.

“We’re thrilled with this addition,” board member Mary Ross Cunningham said in the release. “It is a critical purchase for residents in this area.”

There aren’t a lot of opportunities to protect and enhance a parcel of this size in Waukegan, which is one of Lake County’s most densely populated areas, Ross Cunningham said.

The Forest Preserves aims to finalize the purchase by the end of the year.

“We’re so pleased we have preserved this land,” said board member Paras Parekh, chair of the Forest Preserves planning committee. “This purchase aligns with the board’s rationale for issuing limited land acquisition bonds in late spring, which was to be able to move quickly to preserve critical parcels when they become available.”